Group Decision Making Techniques.

 

We now turn to the techniques by which groups make decisions. These reduce some of the dysfunctional aspects of group decision making. Each of these three group-decision techniques has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. The choice depends on what criteria you want to emphasize and the cost-benefit trade-off.

 

Interacting Groups

The most common form of group decision making takes place in interacting groups. Members meet face to face and rely on both verbal and nonverbal interactions to communicate. But the problem is, interacting groups often censor themselves and pressure individual members toward conformity of opinion.

 

Brainstorming

Brainstorming can overcome the pressures for conformity that dampen creativity by encouraging any and all alternatives while withholding criticism. In such a typical session, half to a dozen people sit around a table. No criticism is allowed, and all alternatives are recorded for later discussion and analysis. The problem with brainstorming is that it is “production blocking”. When people are generating ideas in a group, many are talking at once, which blocks the thought process and eventually impedes the sharing of ideas.

 

Nominal Group Technique

The nominal group technique restricts discussion or interpersonal communication during the decision-making process, hence the term nominal. 

1. Members meet as a group, but before any discussion takes place, each independently writes down ideas on the problem.

2. After this silent period, each member presents one idea to the group. No discussion takes place until all ideas have been presented and recorded.

3. The group discusses the ideas for clarity and evaluate them.

4. Each group member silently and independently rank-order the ideas. The idea with the highest aggregate ranking determines the final decision.

The advantage of the nominal group technique is that it permits a group to meet formally but does not restrict independent thinking, as does an interacting group.